KOTOBUS

The social and emotional environment is a key element for the development of children. However, a large portion of children living in Lebanon lack access to quality cultural and recreational activities that are adapted to their abilities and can support their well-being and personal fulfillment. Furthermore, public and free-private schools in Lebanon often lack basic equipment to support the learning success of their students, notably school libraries and books. It is mainly in response to this need, that ASSABIL has been operating a mobile library – our kotobus (“kotob” means books in Arabic) – since 2008, working with disadvantaged children in various child care centers and public schools in Beirut, its southern and northern suburbs as well as in other regions of Lebanon.

ASSABIL’s Kotobus is well equipped to implement reading promotion activities, as well as a set of playful and fun activities for children and youth aged 5-18 from marginalized social groups and brings with it a collection of more than 7,000 books and magazines, mobile furniture for playful and comfortable outside reading and activity spaces, tablets and internet access for digital activities – all brought to the children by an experienced and well-trained team of facilitators.